Investor FAQs

Q. When and where was Spirent incorporated?A. Details of Spirent’s history can be found at Our History.Q.Where are Spirent Ordinary shares traded?A. Spirent Ordinary shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange (ticker: SPT).
Q.When was the last AGM and when will the next one be?A. Spirent’s Annual General meeting is generally held in May of each year, with details available at Financial Calendar

Shares - General
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Q. Where are Spirent shares traded?A. Spirent Ordinary shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange. Spirent’s ticker symbol is “SPT”; SEDOL number 0472609 and ISIN GB0004726096.Q.How can I buy/sell Spirent Ordinary shares?A. You can buy or sell Spirent Ordinary shares through your bank or a stockbroker of your choice. Alternatively, you can sell your shares online at www.shareview.co.uk/dealing or by telephone within the UK on 08456 037 037.Q.How do I work out what my Spirent Ordinary shares are worth?A. You can work out the current value of your Spirent Ordinary shares by visiting Share Price Calculator.Q.I bought shares in Spirent several years ago, but cannot remember the price I paid for them. I now need this information to complete my tax return. Where can I get hold of the original share price I paid?A. You can find out the share price on the day you bought your Spirent Ordinary shares at Historic Share Price Calculator.

Shares - Managing your holding of Ordinary Shares
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Q.I have more than one Spirent share certificate. Can the holdings be combined? A. If you have more than one Spirent share certificate and would like them combined into one, simply send your certificates to our registrar, Equiniti. There is no charge to private shareholders for this service. When sending your certificates, you may prefer to send them by special delivery, for added security.

Equiniti
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Q. Who are Equiniti?A.Equiniti (formerly Lloyds TSB Registrars) are Spirent’s Registrar and manage our share register. Q.I want to hold Spirent shares for my children. How do I do this?A. Whilst you can buy shares in your children’s names, there may be legal complications when you come to sell the shares. It is usually preferable therefore for you to hold the shares in your name on their behalf. Equiniti can give you more information.Q.How can I transfer my Spirent shares? A. You will need to obtain a stock transfer form (available from Equiniti), your own bank or stockbroker) and send this together with your share certificate(s) to Equiniti who will register the transfer of ownership. For further information, please contact Equiniti.Note: Where the transfer is for a cash consideration you will need to send the stock transfer form to HM Revenue & Customs for stamping. For further information, please contact HM Revenue & Customs.Q.Can I donate some or all of my Spirent shares to charity? A. Sharegift is a registered charity that enables people to donate their shares to the charity of their choice. For further information, please contact Sharegift on 020 7337 0501 within the UK or by visiting their website at www.sharegift.org.uk.Q.Is this a good time to buy/sell Spirent shares?A. Under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 we are not authorised to provide advice to investors on share dealing. For advice on dealing, please contact your stockbroker or independent financial adviser.Q.How do I contact the Company about my shareholding? A.Equiniti are Spirent’s Registrar and manage our share register; they should be your first point of contact for questions regarding your shareholding.QWho are the Company’s Registrars and how do I contact them?AEquiniti are Spirent’s Registrar and manage our share register. Q.Why should I sign up with Equiniti’s Shareview service?A. We encourage all shareholders to register for this simple online service which is provided by our Registrar, Equiniti which allows you to check your shareholding details and keep up to date with dividend payments and transactions.Q.What should I do with my share certificate?A. This is a very important document and is evidence of your shareholding. As such, share certificates should be kept in a safe place, as they will be required should you sell / transfer some or all of your shares.QI can’t find my share certificate. What do I need to do?A In most cases there is a charge to replace share certificates so we advise that you have searched thoroughly before contacting our Registrar, Equiniti to request a replacement.Q. I have recently moved house. How do I change the address my shareholding is registered to? A. You need to notify Equiniti [hotlink to contacts] of your new address. You will need to quote your shareholder reference number, which can be found at the top of your share certificate.Q.I have recently changed my name. How do I change the name my shareholding is registered to? A. You will need to notify Equiniti of your new name. You will need to quote your shareholder reference number, which can be found at the top of your share certificate, and also provide evidence of your name change, for example a copy of your marriage certificate or change of name deed.Q.My partner or relative has passed away. What should I do about their shareholding?A. If you are administering an estate, you may need to transfer shares into the names of beneficiaries or sell the holding. The first step is to write to our Registrar, Equiniti, telling them what you are going to do. They will then place a temporary marker on the register to ensure that, wherever possible, they do not issue further dividend payments or other correspondence in the shareholder’s name and assist you in carrying out the deceased’s wishes.Q.I do not know how many Spirent shares I hold. How can I find out?A. If you hold your shares directly (i.e., in your own name), please contact our Registrar, Equiniti. If you hold shares through a “street name” or nominee account, please contact your nominee for information on your holdings. Q.Does Spirent offer an Individual Savings Account (ISA)?A. Information about investing in the Company’s Ordinary shares through an Individual Savings Account (“ISA”) can be obtained from Equiniti. ISAs are also offered by other organisations.

Dividends - General
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Q.What is a dividend? A. It is a payment to shareholders, the level of which is based on the company’s dividend policy and the number of shares held by shareholders at the record date. It is paid to everyone who holds shares at the record date. It can be paid in cash or used to buy more Spirent shares through partcipation in our Dividend Reinvestment Plan (“DRIP”).Q.What does “ex-dividend” mean?A. Before we announce a dividend, we consult with the London Stock Exchange and set the ex-dividend date. If you buy shares before the ex-dividend date, you are entitled to the most recently-announced dividend; if you buy after that date, the dividend goes to the previous owner of the shares. Q.What does “record date” mean?A. The dividend is paid based on the number of shares held on the share register at the record date, which is two days after the ex-dividend date. If you receive a dividend and are not sure if you are entitled to it, contact the agent who sold your shares for you. Q. The dividend value is now declared in US dollars – does that mean I will receive my dividend payment in US dollars? A. The Board announced in May 2010 that future consolidated financial statements for Spirent Communications plc would be reported in US dollars rather than sterling. The decision to change was made in order to give a clearer understanding of Spirent’s performance, more closely reflecting the profile of the Group’s revenue and operating profit which are primarily generated in US dollars or US dollar-linked currencies. The change became effective for the results for the six months ended 4 July 2010 which were reported on 5 August 2010.
The reporting currency of the parent Company remains as sterling, as it is located in the United Kingdom and its functional currency is sterling. Its share capital continues to be denominated in sterling. Dividends are determined in US dollars and paid in sterling at the exchange rate prevailing when the dividend is declared. Q.When will the next dividend by paid? A. Details of any future dividends that have been announced can be found in our Dividend Information section.Q.How much will the next dividend be? A. Details of forthcoming dividends are generally announced in the Company’s half-year and preliminary financial results in August and February/March respectively.

Dividends - Payment
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Q. Can I have my dividends paid directly into my bank/building society account?A. You can have your dividends paid directly into your bank or building society account by completing the Dividend Mandate form which accompanied a previous Spirent dividend cheque and returning it to Equiniti or by contacting Equiniti direct.Q.I normally have my dividends paid directly into my bank/buildings society account but have recently changed my bank account details. How do I change where my dividends are paid? A. You will need to advise our Registrar, Equiniti, of your new account details.Q.Will I still receive notification of dividend payments if they are paid directly into my bank/building society?A. You will receive a dividend tax voucher at your registered address each time a dividend is paid into your account. Q.Can I receive my dividends in another currency?A. Dividends can be converted and sent to certain countries outside the UK in local currency using Equiniti’s International Payment Service. Further details are available from our Registrar Equiniti.Q.Can I receive my dividends as additional Spirent shares? A. You can receive your dividends in the form of additional Spirent shares by participating in our Dividend Reinvestment Plan (“DRIP”) ; for further details please go to our Dividend information section.Q. I have found an out of date Spirent dividend cheque. What should I do with it? A. You need to contact our Registrar, Equiniti; they will be able to issue a replacement.Q. I haven’t received my last dividend cheque. Who should I contact?A. You need to contact our Registrar, Equiniti; they will be able to stop the missing cheque and issue a replacement.Q.I have misplaced my dividend cheque / tax voucher. What should I do?A. You need to contact our Registrar, Equiniti; they will be able to issue a replacement.

Dividends - Tax
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Q.Do I have to pay tax on my dividends?A. Whether you have to pay additional tax on your dividends will depend on your personal circumstances and you should refer to your financial or tax adviser.Q.How long should I keep my dividend tax vouchers? A. You should keep your tax vouchers for not less than six years.Q.Can I get replacement dividend tax vouchers?A. If your tax vouchers have been lost or stolen, you can obtain replacements by contacting Equiniti.Q.Who should I speak to for advice on the tax on my shares or dividends? A. Neither Spirent nor Equiniti can give advice on tax matters. All tax matters should be referred to your financial or tax adviser.

ADRs (American Depositary Receipts)
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Q.What is the difference between an ADR and an ADS?A. An ADR (American Depositary Receipt) is a negotiable certificate issued by a depositary bank representing a specific number of shares of a non-US company traded on a US stock exchange. An ADS is the share issued under the ADR agreement which is actually traded.Q.How do I buy or sell Spirent ADRs?A. You can trade in Spirent ADRs through a stockbroker or investment adviser.Q.How can I find out how many ADRs I have?A. If you hold your ADRs directly (ie in your own name), please contact our ADR Depositary, Bank of New York Mellon. If you hold ADRs through a “street name” or nominee account, please contact your nominee for information on your holdings. Q.What should I do if I lose an ADR certificate? A. If your ADR certificate is lost, stolen or destroyed, please contact Bank of New York Mellon.Q.How do I change my address? A. You need to notify Bank of New York Mellon of your new address. Q.What is the difference between a registered ADR holder and a beneficial ADR holder?A. A registered holder is one whose name appears on the books of the depositary. The registered holder is considered to be the owner of the record. A beneficial holder is one whose holdings are registered in a name other than his or her own, such as the name of a broker, bank or “street name” (nominee).Q.What is Spirent’s ADR ratio?A. One Spirent ADR represents four Spirent Ordinary shares.Q.How do I convert my ADRs into Ordinary shares?A. Converting ADRs into Ordinary shares must be done through a broker, investment adviser or through Bank of New York Mellon.Q. In what currency are Spirent ADR dividends paid?A. Dividends payable on Spirent ADRs are paid in US dollars Q.Can my ADR dividend by deposited directly into my bank account? A. If you are interested in receiving your cash dividend directly into your bank account, please contact Bank of New York Mellon.Q.What should I do if I lose my ADR dividend cheque or tax form?A. To request a replacement ADR dividend cheque or tax form, please contact Bank of New York Mellon.Q.How would an ADR transaction be taxed?A. Neither Spirent nor Bank of New York Mellon can give advice on tax matters. All tax matters should be referred to your financial or tax adviser. Q.Are there any UK tax effects associated with my ADR dividends? A. Neither Spirent nor Bank of New York Mellon can give advice on tax matters. All tax matters should be referred to your financial or tax adviser.Q.Who is Spirent’s depositary bank?A.Bank of New York Mellon.Q.Where are Spirent ADRs traded?A. Spirent ADRs are quoted on the OTC Pink electronic quotation service (symbol: SPMYY) which can be found at www.otcmarkets.com/marketplaces/otc-pink.Q.What is Spirent’s CUSIP number? A. 84856M209. Q.How can ADR holders vote at shareholder meetings? A. ADR holders are entitled to instruct the depositary bank, Bank of New York Mellon, to exercise the voting rights with respect to the number of Ordinary shares represented by the respective ADRs.Q.What financial information is available to US investors? A. Spirent provides the same financial information to all investors and conforms to all laws in the UK and the US on disclosure.

Company Mailings
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Q.Why do I receive duplicate mailings?A. If you have more than one account on the share register you are likely to receive documentation for each account. These can be combined for you, free of charge, by contacting our Registrar, Equiniti.Q.I don’t want to receive paper annual reports. How do I sign up for electronic communications? A. You can elect to receive company communications by email by contacting our Registrar, Equiniti.Q.I would like to receive company mailings in paper form. How do I elect to do this? A. You can elect to receive company communications in paper form by contacting our Registrar, Equiniti.Q.How can I get a copy of Spirent’s Annual Report? A. Our Annual Report can be viewed online or downloaded in PDF form for printing. Although we encourage online viewing of this document, a hard copy can be obtained by emailing our Investor Relations team.Q.Why should I use electronic communications? A. All of the Company’s communications with shareholders are conducted in line with our environmental approach. We hold the majority of our events via webcast and conference call and we encourage all of our investors to receive communications electronically. Q.What should I do if I receive unsolicited telephone calls and/or documents relating to my shareholding in Spirent?A. Some of our shareholders have received unsolicited telephone calls and/or documents, relating to their shareholding in Spirent, from organisations claiming or implying that they have some connection with the Spirent Communications Group. These organisations are not connected to the Spirent Communications Group and are not acting with its authority. You are strongly advised not to divulge any personal details to callers from these organisations and to consult your independent financial adviser before taking any action as a result of any unsolicited telephone calls or documentation.
For further information, please read our Warning to Shareholders.